The Hunt for Hydra
by Musingsage
Summary: SPOILERS for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. SPOILERS. SPOILERS. After SHIELD is disbanded, America remains worried about lingering Hydra basses and works so she recruits the only group of ex-SHIELD agents who can help her. In same universe as Reunion. Fem!America
1. Contacts

A/N: Set after Reunion, but in same 'verse. Serious spoilers for Captain America: The Winter Soldier which is AWESOME. I wrote this because I dislike how TWS treated SHIELD in the end, and this is my response to that.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. If It did, then The Winter Soldier would have ended differently.

* * *

The disassemblement of SHIELD left Coulson and his small group of ex-agents bereft and robbed of their purpose. Of them all, Skye took the news the worst, just after gaining membership in their family, events stripped her of it too. Sitting on the bus, they discussed career options. Fitz and Simmons talked about joining research teams at a university, and Skype mentioned joining the CIA, but none of them knew what to do. More than losing their organization, they feared losing each other. With all they had gone through to regain each other's trust, it felt so pointless to lose it again.

Things changed when someone requested Coulson meet them on Roosevelt Island just before dawn by a hundred year old weeping willow.

Without his team the wiser, Coulson made the rendezvous, arriving early to stake out the location and check for traps. As a former SHIELD agent, he created plenty of enemies over the years. It was hard to tell if the person who arranged to meet him was friend or foe.

Just before dawn he spotted someone out for a run. A young woman, no more than twenty, jogged down the path. From behind a tree he studied her; after all she might be the contact. Besides, the gates opened in several hours, eliminating her as a casual jogger. Most likely she was the contact, and hid true purpose under the guise of jogging, either a clever young woman or a cautious one. What could a twenty year old want with him? Likely someone arranged this, and sent her as their proxy. Perhaps Director Fury, whose death Coulson doubted, set it up to establish contact with him and his team.

The young woman slowed when she reached the willow tree, breath not showing any hint of exhaustion. Something about her looked familiar. The woman exercised often, keeping herself fit beyond the normal level. A head band kept shoulder length blond hair out her blue eyes, which hid behind square rimmed glasses. Despite the ear buds in her year, and the iPod strapped to her right arm, Coulson suspected she listened to nothing and instead let them generate the impression of unawareness.

"Agent Coulson, good morning." She greeted, her voice crisp and clear.

Stepping out from behind the tree, "Good morning, I don't believe I have had the pleasure of meeting you before."

She held out a hand, "Amelia Jones." After shaking hands she sat on a log beneath the willow, "Sit, we have a lot to discuss."

Cautious, but curious he joined her on the log, "What could we have to discuss?"

While she carried neither gun nor knife

"The future of your team."

"SHIELD no longer exists, we don't have a future as a team."

She glanced at him, "What if you did?"

What could she possible offer him? A better question: what did her superior believe they could offer him?

The ensuing silence prompted her to continue, "We…I… still need some aspect of SHIELD."

"Who are you really?"

She laughed, "Amelia Frances Jones, who else would I be?"

"I don't know what game you or your superior is playing, but if you've got something to say then say it."

"I don't have a superior, I have a boss. Actually, I've got three hundred million of those."

What on earth? "I don't understand."

Turning to face him she replied, "I am the personification of the United States of America."

For a moment he though to protest, then took a second look in her eyes. The blue pigment abandoned its guard post to reveal a whole world with her eyes. In an infinite moment he watched U.S history play out; her pain at the death of everyone who fought in her name; the great sorrows of her life, along with the joy whizzed past. The parade of images ended when she glanced away. In struggling what to say, he said nothing instead leaving his expression and silence to speak for him and convey his emotions.

Seconds morphed into minutes, perhaps half hour passed by before he broke the silence.

"What do you need?"

"I need you to hunt Hydra."

Coulson gasped at the enormity of her request.

"Your team is the best, and I'm sure you can recruit help. Funding won't be a problem, and so far as the records are concerned your 'bus' was destroyed if you'll take the job."

"Why?"

"Because destroying SHIELD might have been a grand gesture, but Hydra won't be taken down that easily. I'd hunt them myself, but I'm tied down to the capital. You'll only have the backup you create yourself. No one will be able to help you. I'll do what I can, but that will be limited as is. You'll answer to me alone, no one else will know about your operations." Gently she took his hand and wrote a number on his palm, "Call me when you have an answer. Talk with your team, but understand this might be our best chance to take down Hydra because they don't be expecting this."

Without another word Coulson watched her stand up and jog off. As her silhouette dwindled, she turned a corner and disappeared from sight. Of course he would take this to his team, but leave out her identity. She offered them a chance to remain a team and exact vengeance against Hydra; he believed they would agree quickly.

* * *

A/N: This won't be updated until I finish Reunion, this semester of classes and see the ending Agents of SHIELD.


	2. Sorry

Hey all,

I swear this is the last time I'm going to do this and I know you were hoping for an actual chapter.

Bad news: I won't be finishing this story.

Okay news: I'm rewriting it to better integrate the events I have planned for Winter's Burning Light.

Good news: Soon (shortly after I post this), the first chapter of The Way of the Agent (what I'm replacing this with) will be posted. It's written, edited, and my muse has already started on the 2nd chapter.

If some of you are fed up with me I understand, but I hope you'll give The Way of the Agent a chance.

Best wishes,

Musingsage


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